Brake foe railway oars



`(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. MAIN. BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Patented July 2, 1895.

, jme? W fm?? No. 541,866. *c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet W. MAIN.

BRAKE `FOR RAILWAY CARS`l No. 541,266. Patented July 2, 1895.

VILLIAM MAIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,666, dated July 2,1 895.

Application filed October 17,1390. Serial No. 368,432. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MAIN, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Brooklyn,

county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Oar-Brakes, fully described and rep resented inthe following specification and the accompanying drawings, formingapartot' the same.

@The object of the present invention is to provide an improved carbrake, and to this end the invention consists in various c onstructionsand combinations of parts, all as particularly described and claimedherein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation ofa car provided with my improved brake. Fig. 2 is a reverse plan showingthe bottom of the car. Fig. 3 is an elevation on an enlarged scale,showing the means for locking and operating the brake. Figs. 4 and 5 aresections on the lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Fig. 3, respectively.

Referring to said drawings, A is the body of the car and B the wheels atopposite ends of the same. The two pairs of wheels B are engaged bybrake shoes placed outside the same and moving in opposite directionsfor applying the brake, and brake mechanisms are placed at each end ofthe car.

As the two brake mechanisms are identical in construction, only one needbe described, the same references being used for corresponding parts ateach end of the car.

The brake shoes 1 engaging the wheels B at one end of the car arecarried by a cross-bar 2 which extends transversely of and beneath thecar and is supported to swing freely by links 3 secured to the frame.Extending longitud inally of the car and preferably centrally thereto,as shown, is a compound lever con sisting of bars 4, 5 supported fromthe frame of the car by links 6, 7, so as to swing freely in a verticalplane and longitudinally of the car. The inner end ot' the compoundleveris pivotally secured to the cross-bar 2 so that the operatingmovement of the lever presses the brake shoes 1 against the wheel, thebrake shoes being normally withdrawn by springs 8 connected to cross-bar2 and the car frame.

For operating the compound lever for applying the brake, a rod 9 ismounted vertically or substantially vertically at the end of the car inconvenient position for the driver,

, and a sleeve 10 slides freelyupon this rod,

being provided withapedal 11 and connected by a link 12 with the outerend of the bar 4:. The sleeve l0 may be made in any suitable manner,butwill preferably consist, as shown, of a casting having the pedal 1l,and a tube extending upward nearly to the top of the car where it isconnected to a second casting carrying the locking device.

The locking device consists of a ring clutch 13 engaging the bar 9, andcarried by a handle 14 pivoted in a lug 15 of the sleeve 10, the handle14 being normally pressed outward for the engagement of the clutch withthe rod by means of a spring 16.

The brake mechanisms at the opposite ends of the car are preferablyconnected, so that both sets of brakes are applied by the operation ofeither brake mechanism, and these connections are preferably madeadjustable so that the proper position of the brake shoes relatively tothe wheels may be maintained. I have shown a simple and convenient formof connection consisting of rods 17 pivoted to the compound levers andextending inward to the middle of the car, where they are adjustablyconnected by a turn buckle 18.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the drawingsand a brief description.

When the brake is to be applied from either end of the car, the driverpresses the handle 16 to release the ring clutch and throws his weightupon the pedal 11, the pressure upon the latter being multiplied by theswinging compound lever and transmitted to thebars `2 and sets of brakeshoes, moving the latter in opposite directions against the wheels andapplying both brakes. When the brake has been applied it will again belocked. by the ring clutch 13 upon the release of the handle 16. Whenthe'brake is to be removed the handle 16 is again pressed, unlocking theclutch and the springs 8 return the bars 2 and brake shoes to theirnormal position.

It will be seen that my invention provides a simple and very convenientform of brake, in which the full weight ot' the driver is utilized andlargely multiplied, and in which the brake may readily and convenientlybe locked and unlocked, as desired. By the swinging movement of eithermechanism is positively.

transmitted to the other and all wear of the brake shoes may be readilycompensated for, and all the brake slices adjusted by a single movementso as to be held normally close to the surface ot the wheels.

It Willloe understood that the brake mechanism may be provided atbut oneend ot' the car, or the brake mechanisms at opposite ends may not beconnected together.

The compound levers may be operated and locked by other means than thatshown, and other forms of brake mechanisms may be combined with myspecial means for applying foot pressure and my locking device, and myinvention is not to be limited to the combination shown, but the brakemechanisms and operating and locking devices form parts of my invention,independently of their combination.

It will be understood, also, that the brake shoes of the two mechanismsmay act upon opposite sides ofthe same wheel,if preferred, instead ofdifferent wheels, and the construe.- tion shown may be varied otherwisein details without departing from my invention.

In some cases the compound levers may be supported from the car so as toswing in a horizontal plane, and my invention is not to be limited toany special plane of movement of the compound levers, when supportedindependently of the brake shoes or bars by which the latter arecarried.

What I claim is- 1. rFhe combination with brake shoes moving in oppositedirections to apply the brake, of compound levers by which therespective brake shoes are operated having their pivots supportedmovably relatively to the body of the car, and connections between thebrake mechanisms whereby the operation of either compound lever movesthe brake shoes in opposite directions to apply both brakes,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a swinging brakeshoe, of a compound leveroperating said brake shoe, and a swinging member supporting saidcompound lever independently of the brake shoe, substantially asdescribed..

The combination with a swinging brake shoe, of a compound leveroperating said brake shoe to apply the brake, a swinging membersupporting said compound lever independently of the brake shoe, and aspring or springs for returning said brake shoe and compound lever totheir normal positions, substantially as described;

4. The combination with a swinging cross bar carrying brake shoes, of acompound lever connected to and operating said bar to apply the brake, aswinging member supporting said compound lever independently of thebrake shoes, and a spring or springs for returning said har and compoundlever to their normal positions, substantially as described.

5. The combination with brake shoes moving in opposite directions toapply thebrake, of compound levers by which the respective brake shoesare operated, swinging members supporting said compound levers, andconnections between the brake mechanisms whereby the operation of eithercompound lever moves the brake shoes in opposite directions to applybothbrakes, substantially as described.

6. The combination with brake shoes moving in opposite directions toapply the brake, of compound levers by which therespective brake shoesare operated, swinging members supporting said compound levers, andadjustable connections between the two brake mech# anisms, whereby thebrake shoes may be adjusted relatively to the wheel or wheels,substantially as described.

7. The combination with a brake mechanism, of a rod, a sleeve sliding onthe rod, and connected to the brake mechanism for operating the same,and a ringclutch moving with said sleeve and engaging the rod to lockthe brake, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a brake mechanism, ot' a vertical orsubstantially vertical rod, a sleeve sliding on said rod and operated byfootI pressure to apply vthe brake, and a ring clutch moving with saidsleeve and engaging the rod to lock the brake, substantially asdescribed.

9. Thecombination with a brake mechanism operated by foot pressure toapply the brake, of a vertical or substantially vertical rod, and a ringclutch connected to and moving with the brake mechanism and engaging therod to lock the'brake, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a swinging cross bar carrying brake shoes, of aswinging compound lever operating said bar and operated by footpressure, and a ring clutch device for locking the brake, substantiallyas described.

1l. The combination with aswinging cross bar carrying brake'shoes, of aswinging compound lever operating said bar to apply the brake, avertical or substantially vertical rod, a sleeve sliding on said rod andactuated by foot pressure to operate the compound lever, a ring clutchmoving with said sleeve and engaging the rod to lock the brake, and aspring or springs for returning the parts to their normal positions,substantially as described.

12. The combination with swinging cross bars carrying brake shoes andmoving in op- Yposite directions to apply the brake, of swingingcompound levers operating said bars and operated from opposite ends ofthe car by foot pressure, connections between the compound IIO ` normalpositions, substantially as described.

14. The combination with swinging cross bars carrying brake shoes andmoving in opposite directions to apply the brake, of swinging compoundlevers operating said bars, connections between the compound levers, avertical or substantially vertical rod at each end of the car, sleevessliding on said rods and actuated by foot pressure to operate thecompound levers, ring clutches moving with said sleeves and engaging therods to lock the brake, and springs for returning the parts to theirnormal positions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MAIN.

Wtn esses:

T. H. PALMER, T. F. KEHOE.

